Electric-circuit-regulating device.



Patented Apr. 8.1902. G. P. McnoNnELL.

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT REGULATING DEVICE.

(Application Bled Oct. 28, 1901.1

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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Nu. 697,I58. Patented Ap`r. 8, |902;

G. P. MCDONNELL. ELECTRIC CIRCUIT REGULATING DEVICE.

Applicmn med occ. 2s, 190m 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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I f I Min/65549,; n yewye' P /Zomwd F12' @www UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE I). MCDONNELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY- NINE ONEIIUNDREDTHS TO OSCAR E. PLOCI'IMAN AND RICHARD SFIN IER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELEC-TRlC-CIRCUlT-REGULATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,1 58, dated Apri?. 8, 1902.

Application filed October 28, 1901. Serial No. 80,270. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, GEORGE P. MODONNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric-Circuit-Regulating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, formingapart of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my improved regulating device for electric circuits. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the same. Fig. 4c is a diagrammatic View showing the apparatus used in connection with an elevator. Fig. 5 is a detail view of a modified form of the circuit-interrupter, and Fig. G is a detail View of another form of comm utator.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in regulating devices for electric circuits, the object being to control the circuit in such manner that resistance-coilsare rendered unnecessary.

The principle of operation of my device is arotating` element provided with a series of terminals which are designed to pass the brush or other contact device, whereby the derived circuit is made and broken periodically and with rapidity, the position of the contact-brush with respect to the axes of rotation of the moving terminals being such that the length of interval of the break may be regulated so that the value of the derived current maybe increased or diminished at will.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as wiil hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a motor, preferablyin the form of an electric motor,which is energized from any suitable current, and upon the armature-shaft of which is arranged a series of disks 2. These disks have insulation material arranged in one of the side faces thereof, whereby contact points or strips 4f, preferably integral with the disks and flushed with the insulation-pieces, arc oxposed for contact with a brush 5. Brush 5 is mounted upon a rack-bar G and is guided in suitable ways on the standards or bearings of the armature-shaft, said rack-bars being connected at one end to springs S,where by they are induced to move in one direction.

9 indicates a shaft carrying pinions 10, in mesh with the several rack-bars, said shaft 9 having means for rotating the same,whereby the brushes of the respective circuit-inter rupting disks are adj usted toward and from the axes of rotation of said disks.

In Fig. 4.- I have illustrated my regulating apparatus in connection with an elevator, in which 11 indicates a cage or car suspended by ropes 12, wound on a drum 13, said drum being controlled by a motor 1i, which motor is in a circuit derived from myimproved regulating apparatus. 15 indicates a switch on the elevator-car, which switch controls the circuit in which motor 1 is located, whereby the open ator on the car may start and stop said motor by manipulating said switch. Motor 1 is designed to be constantly rotated, so that the disks 2 are rotating during the entire time that the elevator-car is in service. 1G indicates a controlling-lever in the car, which lever is designed to cooperate with a tillenrope 17 and through said rope actuate the rack-bars 6 inwardly and outwardly in starting and stopping the car or regulating the speed thereof. 18indicates a binding-post to which is connect'- ed the inlead-wire of the power-circuit. 19 indicates one or more wires from post 1S to the armature-shaft, upon which the disks 2 are mounted. While I have shown a number of wires 10, it is obvious that but one of said wires is necessary to the armature-shaft and that this single wire through said shaft will electricallyenergize the metallic portions of disks 2. The bars i3 are insulated from the bearings of the armature-shaft of motor 1, but may be in an electrical connection with the brushes 5 and with the shaft i), whereby one wire of the derivedcircuit may be employed instead of a number of wires, (indicated at 20 in the drawings,) which wires lead from the several brushes 5 to a common terminal 2l. The de- 2 is the IOO return-wireof the .powver-circuit.y -In' operation the brushes normally rest upon insu'- lation-rings 3 in the centers ot thedisks and in whichv position of the parts no current passes into said brushes fromsaid disks.l The disks rotating 'at a rapid speed will, when thebrushes are moved outwardly through the vpoints of the commutor-segments, permit only a small quantity of the currentto flow into the brushes. It will be noted in this regardr that the duration of time that any one terminal on the segmeutre'mains in contact with a brush is very slight and that as the brush Vis moved'outwardlytoward the'periphery of the disk the length of timethat the terminalon the segmen t remains in contact with the brush is gradually increased. Thus by reason of the fact that when the brushis near the center of the disk or its axis of rotation, where it will receive current but a short period of time in proportion to the time of rotation of its` disk, and vconsequently the derived .current will be of relatively smallvalue as the brush moves outwardly, a greater proportion of current is permitted to flow into the brush, and consequently the value of the derived current is increased.

Y In Fig.- 5 I have shown a vmodified form ofl `disk in which it will be observed that `as the .3o

brush rests on the'central insulation-'ring 3b no current will flow thereinto. As the brush moves outwardly it .will contact With the points of the terminals 4:, a continued outward movement of the brush toward the 4pe- -riphery bringing it in la position where noA break occurs in the circuit to the brush, the brush near the periphery of the disk resting` `on a continuous metallic' ring, whereby cur-g rent is iiowing thereinto at its full value.

rest .upon the periphery thereof, the brush at one end bearing upon a continuous insulation-f' ring, and as'the brush is moved longitudi nally the current is made and broken, the. amount of current flowing into the brush in-v creasing until the brush rests Von the continuous rin-g on the opposite end of the cylinder, when `the current will iiow brush Without interruption.

Where a'number of disks are employed, as.l shown 'in Figs. 2 and 3, for handling a heavy current,it is obvious` that the makes and breaks in the current should besimultaneous, and for'this reason the disks 2 are pref-` erably all fixed to a common `shaft and all ofthe brushes 5 bear a similar relation to all Vof the disks. By using a number of1disks the liability of heavy sparking is reduced, and in order to avoid disintegration of the parts from sparking the disks and brushes may be submerged in oil, as `is well understood. v

While I have shown my improved apparatus as used in connection with an elevatorcontrolling mechanism, it is obvious that there are many uses to which the same may "In Fig. 6 I have shown a form of circuit-in# terrupter in which the brushis designed to`r into thev be put-such, forinstance, as acontroller for' motors von street-cars, dac.

I amaware that many minor changes 1n the arrangement, construction, and comblnation of the several parts of my device can be 1 made and substituted for thoseherein shown and described without in 'the least departing from the'nature and principle V'of vmy invention.'f@, Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to'secure by Letters 'Patentof the United States, isV l l. In an apparatus of the -character described,- the 'combination with a constantlyrotating circuit-interrupter whose face is composed of insulation material and contactmaking segments alternately arranged and vformed tapering, said=contact-making surfaces being connected to a'sourceof supply,- a brush cooperating with said segments for conducting 0E the derived current, means for adjusting the position of said brush with respect to said segments, whereby, the period of contact of the brush with the segments may be regulated, and yielding means for returning said brush to normal position out of contact with the livesegments; substantially as described.- j p 2. In an kapparatus of the character described, the combination with a constantly-v i n vrotatingv circuit-interrupter in the formof ar disk having tapered contact faces orsegments,

tapered insulationmaterial between said conf tact-faces, a brush contacting with theside lface of said. disk, means for adjusting said 'brush toward and from the axis of rotation of said disk, and a spring for returning said `brush to its normal position adjacent the y center of said disk; substantially as described.

f3. In an 'apparatus of the character described, the combination with a plurality of mon shaft and electrically connected therewith, each of said disks consisting of.`con tact-strips and insulation betweenssaid contact-strips, brushes cooperating with lsaid contact-strips, and means for adjusting said brushes toward and from the axes of rotation lof said disks; substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus'of` the character' describedthe combination with a plurality of n circuit-interrupting disks whose strips are electrically connected, of means for rotating said disks, brushes cooperating with said disks, and means for simultaneously 'adj usting said brushes toward and from the axes of loo - circuit-interrupting disks mounted on a comy IIO rotation of their respective disksgrsubstantially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a motor and its shaft, of a plurality of circuit-interrupting disks mounted on said shaft and rotatingy therewith, each disk having an insulationring in its center, and contact-strips radiat- -in g from said insulation-ring, sliding bars carrying brushes designed to contact with said radiating strips, and means for moving all of 'said bars simultaneously so that said brushes are adjusted toward and from the axes of rotation ofthe disks; substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with an interrupting-disk containing' an insulation-ring and conducting-strips, of a brush adapted to rest wholly upon said insulation-ring, means for moving' said brush off of said insulation-ring and into contact with said strips, and a spring for returning said brush onto said insulation ring; substantially as described.

v7. In an apparatus of the character' described, the combination with an interrupting-disk provided with a continuous contactring and a continuous insulation-ring, oppositely-tapered contact and insulation strips between said continuous rings, a motor for rotating` said disk, a brush, and means for movingr said brush across the face of the disk from the insulation-ring to the continuous contact-ring and Vice versa; substantially as described.

S. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a circuit-interrupter composed of a series of tapered contact-stri ps electrically connected together and with a source of supply, a continuous contact-ring adjacent to and connected with said strips, tapered insulation arranged between said contact-strips, a continuous insulationring` adjacent said tapered strips of insulation, means constantly rotating said circuit-interrupter at a high speed,a brush designed to electrically contact with said tapered strips, and means for moving said brush over the face ot said circuit-interrupter, whereby, the du ration of contact between the brush anda conducting-strip may be controlled; substantially as described.

n testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 24th day of October, 1901.

GEORGE I. MCDONNELL.

l/Vitnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

